Tool for removing staples



1366- 1937- w. G. PANKONIN TOOL FOR REMOVING STAPLES Original Filed Dec. 12, 1932 l INVENTOR. W/ZZ/AW 6. I GW/fO/V/A/ BY I ( ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 14, 1937 sTA'res Divided and this application February 6, 1936, Serial No. 62,614

7 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in staple removing tools.

The present application is a division of the co-pending application of William G; Pankonin, a, applicant herein, Serial No. 646,846, filed December'12, 1932, for stapling machine patented October 27, 1936 as Patent No. 2,059,021. One of the objects of this invention is to provide a device of this character which maybe utilized to support the material into which a staple or fastener has beensecured and to remove such staple while the material is so supported.

Another object is to provide a device of this it character which may be made an appurtenance of a stapling machine by utilizing and incorporating as its own certain elements of such machine.

Other objects and advantages reside in certain 2g novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of '25 this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevation'and partly in longitudinal central vertical section and illustrating a staple removing device embodying the present invention; and so Figure. 2 is a detail view in section taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing, it will be seen that the device comprises generally a base I, an arm 2 swingable to and from the base, a jaw mem- 35 her 3 secured to the arm, and a cooperable jaw member 4 mounted to move toward and from the jaw member 3. v

The base i may be constructed as is generally known to those skilled in the art relating to desk type stapling machines. At one end of the base I is a mounting 5 providing means for pivotally or swingably connecting the arm 2 to l the base I. To maintain the free end of arm 2 normally raised from the base I, a spring 6 is interposed between the arm and base and reacts therebetween. The upward movement of the arm 2 away from the base under influence of spring 6 is limited. by any suitable abutment {50 means known to those skilled in the art of stapling machines.

The arm 2 may also comprise a magazine for staples and have secured to its free end a housing and suitable staple driving mechanism therein, :55 all as is fully disclosed in the application above mentioned and as generally known to those skilled in the art.

On the free end of arm 2 is positioned in suit able manner the jaw member 3. In the embodiment illustrated, jaw member 3 comprises spaced teeth 1 and la, each of which has upwardly inclining camming surfaces, 8 and 8a and lower anvil surfaces 9 and 911. It should be noted that when the removing tool is constructed as an appurtenance of a stapling machine, the spaced 10 teeth 1 and la may be formed by pressing out suitably shaped portions from the material forming the housing for the staple driving mecha nism.

The cooperable jaw member s likewise com- 15. prises spaced teeth It and EM- each of which has upwardly inclining camming surfaces ii and Ha and lower anvil surfaces l2. The spaced teeth 16 and la. are oppositely related to the spaced teeth 1 and la. and so positioned relative thereto that as they advance toward. each other one set of teeth passes in between the other set. It is preferable, however, to have the teeth l G and Ida pass in between the teeth 7 and la as the latter provide means for properly locating the staple and engaging the material into which it is secured.

To properly locate the teeth l0 and Mia with respect to the teeth I and Ta. and to provide operating means whereby the cooperable jaw member 4 and the staple removing tool as a whole may be manually manipulated, the teeth 10 and Illa, are each provided with a lever is extending upwardly therefrom. The levers are cross-connected by a connecting strip 14 and 3 fulcrumed or pivotally mounted by means of a pin or other suitable means to supporting ears l5 attached to the free end of arm 2. When sucharm also comprises an element of a stapling machine, the ears it may be attached to the housing of the stapling mechanism located thereon. The upper portions of levers l3 are also connected by a web structure l6 and are bent to provide a handle portion H. To yieldably hold the cooperable jaw member :3 in spaced or staple receiving relation to the jaw member 3, a spring [8 is positioned to react therebetween. Suitable abutment means are provided to limit the extent of the spaced relation between said members.

The tension of spring 6 is so related to the tension of spring it that when pressure is appliedto the handle portion ll, the free end of arm 2 will first be moved toward the base Until this motion is arrested by the contact of the. jaw member 3 with the base or with material inserted between the arm and base, the cooperable jaw member 4 will not be moved toward the jaw member 3. Before the jaw member 4 under the influence of the above-mentioned pressure starts to move relatively to jaw member 3, the latter will be urged toward the base I with sufiicient force to engage therebetween material into which a staple has been inserted. Thereafter the jaw member 4 will move relative to jaw member 3 to perform the staple removing operation.

The staple removing operation is described at length in the co-pending application ofv William G. Pankonin, Serial No. 646,848, filed December 12, 1932, for Tool for removing staples. It will be noted that on each tooth 1-, la, I0 and Illa, the intersection of the upwardly inclined camming surfaces and lower anvil surfaces form sharp entering edges which are easily insertable between the bridge portion of a staple and the material into which it is inserted. It is preferable that the outside overall width between teeth 1 and id be only slightly less than the distance between the insides of the legs of the staple or staples, for the removal of which the device is designed.

After inserting on the base I and beneath the arm 2 material in which a staple is secured so that the bridge of the staple lies beneath and slightly in front of the entering edges of the jaw member 3, pressure may be applied to handle portion ii to first cause jaw member 3 to swing downwardly against the material to secure'it in position. In this position the entering edges of jaw member 3 are ready to enter under the bridge of the staple. Jaw member 4, upon continued application of said pressure, is then swung toward jaw member 3 and its entering edge, by reason of the established relationship between the jaw members, will enter under the bridge of the staple. Thereafter both jaw members cooperatively advance under the bridge of the staple. The upwardly inclining camming surfaces are caused to assert a lifting force on the bridge of the staple and draw it upwardly while the lower anvil surfaces bear against the material into which the staple is inserted. If the legs of the staple are clinched beneath the material, the anvil surfaces acting through the material provide a support causing the legs to straighten out sufficiently to prevent tearing of the material as the staple is removed. The base I may be provided with a depressed portion substantially below the jaw member 3 to provide a clearance space designated at I9 which permits the clinched legs of a staple to freely straighten or unfold during the removing action. This (162- pressed portion may be formed in any suitable manner and where the device is'an appurtenance of. a stapling machine it may be incorporated with the staple clinching anvil.

While constructions in which this invention may be embodied have been shown and described, it is to be understood that these constructions have been selected merely for the purpose 01' illustration and that various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a device of the type described, a base, an

arm movable relative to said base, there being a jaw on said arm, said base, arm and jaw being positioned so'that movement of said arm toward and away from said base causes said jaw to move into. and out of abutting relationship with said base, and a second jaw independently cooperable with said first mentioned jaw and carried by said arm.

2. In a device of the type described, a base, an arm pivoted to said base, there being a jaw fixed to said arm' and a second jaw pivoted to said arm and cooperable with said first mentioned jaw, there being spring means urging said arm away from said base and said second jaw away from I said first mentioned jaw, whereby when manual force is applied to said second mentioned jaw said arm will move toward said base before said second mentioned jaw cooperably engages said first mentioned jaw.

3. In a device of the character described, a. base, an arm pivotally mounted on said base, a staple engaging jaw on said arm and adapted to engage material into which a staple has been driven between itself and said base, an operating lever pivoted to said arm, said lever having a jaw cooperable with said first mentioned jaw to engage therebetween a driven staple and remove the'same, and spring means for biasing said arm and said lever to material and staple receiving position, said spring means, arm and lever being related so that when force is applied to said lever to operate the same, said arm is first moved toward said base, thereby engaging the material, and then said second jaw moves toward said first jaw to engage the staple.

4. In a device of the character described, a base, a jaw pivotally connected to said base and movable toward and away therefrom to receive material between itself and said base, and a second jaw pivoted to said first mentioned jaw and cooperable therewith to engage therebetween and remove staples from material, said second jaw having an operating handle, the action between said jaws and said arm being such that when said handle is motivated said first jaw approaches said base and engages therebetween material into which a staple is driven, and then said second jaw approaches said first jaw engaging therebetween the staple and removes the same from said material.

5. In a device of the type described, a base, and arm movable toward said base, a first jaw member on said arm, a second jaw member movable toward said first jaw member to remove a staple from material in which it is clinched, said base and first jaw member engaging therebetween said material prior to the removing of said staple.

6. In a device of the type described, a base, and arm movable toward said base, a first jaw member on said arm, a second jaw member movable toward said first jaw member to remove a staple from material in which it is clinched, said base and first jaw member engaging therebetween said material prior to the removing of said staple, said base having a depressed portion below said first jaw member to permit clinched legs to freely unclinch.

'I. A device of the type described, a base, an arm overlying said base and movable toward and away therefrom, a jaw on said arm, said jaw adapted to move into and out of abutting relationship with said base as said arm moves toward and away therefrom, and a second jaw carried by said arm and movable into and out of cooperable relationship with said first-mentioned jaw independently of the relationship between the latter and said base.

. WILLIAM G. PANKONIN. 

